Welcome to the next in a series celebrating female colleagues who engage with theatre as critics, reviewers, bloggers or content creators. I am using ‘theatre’ to encompass all live arts performances, and ‘reviewer’ to cover all those who add commentary on what they see.
The master list is at: https://loureviews.blog/spotlight-on-female-theatre-reviewers-bloggers-critics-and-content-creators/
If you would like to be profiled as part of this project, please get in touch.
Today, it’s the turn of Emma at Curtain Call Reviews.
Can you tell us a bit about yourself and how you came to be writing or creating content about theatre?
I first started writing for West End Best Friend back in 2021 and vividly remember my first show. It was What’s New Pussycat’ at Birmingham REP where I bumped into Hollywood A-Lister Bryan Cranston in the theatre! The show was fantastic and earned an easy 5 stars, and that was when my love for theatre was reignited and I knew I wanted to get out there and see as much theatre as possible. I will always be grateful to Jenny and James at WEBF for my start in theatre reviewing.
If you have your own platform, when did it start and how did you come up with the name? If you write for one or many platforms, which was the first and how did you become involved with it?
I started Curtain Call Reviews in 2022, knowing that I wanted to bring as much theatre to people as possible and grow my own team of amazing reviewers. The name was already in my life as my cousin, and I have a WhatsApp group called ‘Curtain Call Cousins’, so it seemed a no-brainer to use that to show our combined love of theatre.
What kind of shows do you cover, and in which geographical areas?
We review a whole host of shows, whether that be big West End musicals, to Fringe Theatre productions, amateur productions and everything in between.
It’s important to cover every aspect of theatre and not just get tied up in the big hitters, as I believe that Fringe Theatre is just as important, giving new writers voices within the industry.
We cover mainly London, the West Midlands, Manchester, Liverpool and Oxfordshire.
How would you describe yourself (reviewer, critic, content creator, YouTuber, influencer, other)?
I would describe myself as a reviewer.
Why do you continue to engage with theatre?
Theatre is such a wonderful outlet for many people. The thought of getting lost in a wonderful story over the course of a couple of hours, where you can forget about life for a while, is so important to my mental health in particular. I feel that theatre is my safe space, and I’m so appreciative of the hard work performers give audiences day after day.
Do you have a favourite show – and any you particularly dislike(d)?
My favourite show of all time is Miss Saigon, so I was delighted to see it twice on its current tour. It still remains timeless. Another favourite of mine is Standing at the Sky’s Edge, such a hard-hitting, gritty story with an incredible soundtrack. I’m waiting patiently for a tour! There are not many shows I have disliked, although the less said about ‘Opening Night’, the better!
The theatre commentary space is wide and diverse – is there any other female reviewer/content creator you would recommend, and why?
I’m very lucky to have met some wonderful female reviewers during my time in this space. Theatre and Tonic (Emmie) is a great source of knowledge for me, and always happy to offer advice and guidance. I’m grateful of our stagey friendship.
What’s the biggest change you have noticed in the theatre space since you started contributing to it?
The biggest change I’ve noticed is the different types of content now submitted. It’s not all about a written review any more, there are so many more ways that theatre can be publicised and brought to audiences. It’s great to see the creativity other creators have produced.
And which social networks are you most active on? If you are not on any, what is your opinion of their place in theatre reviewing/content creation?
I’m most active on Instagram, I feel this is where the cool kids hang out :-). I love its simplicity, and it’s a great way of seeing parts of the theatre world you may not see with any performers offering a behind-the-scenes look at their world, which I love to see.
Can you pinpoint one of your best reviews, features, or videos?
One the highest rated videos on our YouTube Channel- Curtain Call Conversations was the rehearsal footage for ‘Why Am I So Single’, with a whopping 22k views. It’s always great to be invited into rehearsal rooms for a glimpse at a show before it reaches the stage. These are the moments where I do have to pinch myself that we are getting invites for. We’re really grateful for all opportunities the wonderful PR companies provide us.
How can people contact you who want to promote a show?
We can be contacted on emma@curtaincallreviews.co.uk.